MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia’s public school system is experiencing significant shifts three years after the launch of the HOPE Scholarship program.
Since the program began, public school enrollment has dropped nearly 7% and at least 35 schools have closed or been consolidated. With lawmakers considering what could be the scholarship’s largest expansion yet next year, opponents fear deeper impacts on already strained public schools.
The West Virginia Academy, a K–12 charter school in Morgantown, reports steady enrollment increases in recent years, a trend officials say aligns with the implementation of the HOPE Scholarship.
“Right now, we’re around 250 students,” Executive Director Jason Pauley said. “That’s a rough estimate. We lose and gain every year, as every school does, but we’re around 250. But we’ve seen nice growth, especially at the secondary area this year.”
Lawmakers created the HOPE Scholarship in 2022. Eligible students may apply for funds that can be used for private or charter school tuition, virtual school programs, or homeschooling curriculum.
When the program launched, students received $4,500 each. By 2025, that amount increased to $5,200 – more than a 15% increase.
More than 19,000 school-aged children across West Virginia now participate in the program, though supporters say awareness is still an issue.
“You get in that mode, and you just go,” Pauley said. “So, I think it’s a great program. And really, in a state like West Virginia, can be very beneficial.”
Fewer than 250,000 children remain in West Virginia’s public schools, and enrollment has declined another 2.5 % in the past year alone. Only Tyler and Doddridge counties saw increases, according to the state school superintendent.
Opponents argue the Hope Scholarship is contributing to a worsening financial situation for public schools.
“Whether you have 25 kids or 20 kids in a classroom, the teacher’s salary stays the same,” Sen. Joey Garcia, (D) - Marion, said. “What it takes to pay the janitor, what it takes to pay the school cook—all those things stay the same, just like the bricks and mortar of what it takes to care for those buildings. And so we have less and less money, we have less and less resources to provide a first-class public education system for the remaining students.”
The Hope Scholarship is projected to cost the state nearly $250 million in 2026, drawn from West Virginia’s $2 billion education budget.
This article was adapted from a television news story using AI. All reporting, facts and quotes from sources are original. AI was only used to assist with formatting and style for a digital platform.